Emperor of Rokugan
The Emperor of Rokugan is the title to the ruler of the Empire of Rokugan. It is a heredirtary monarchy that passes, with only a few exceptions, from eldest son to eldest son. Three dynasties have held the titleof emperor: the Hantei family, under whom the title was established and held for over a thousand years, the Toturi family, the last dynasty whose last blood member Toturi III died without an established heir, throwing the succession into confusion. Toturi III's wife Toturi Kurako acted as regent until her death in 1169, resulting in even more turmoil. Toturi III's remaining living siblings were also killed in 1168, leaving no clear succesor. Following the Celestial Tournament in 1170, Iweko I became the first Empress of the new dynasty. Creation The position of emperor was created by the Kami Hantei, who was the youngest son of Amaterasu and Onnotangu, and victor of the Tournament of the Kami. After the Tournament, Hantei was hailed ruler of all Rokugan, but not truly as so until the reign of his grandson, Hantei Ningi, when the Imperial Court and post of Emerald Champion were officially established. The position Emperor of Rokugan is the highest authority in the Empire of Rokugan. Inherent to the position is absolute administrative, judicial, military and religious control of the empire, although many of these roles are delegated to trusted subordinates. Addressing the Emperor The emperor is addressed by tenoo, or "Heavenly Sovereign." The heir apparent is referred to as kotaishi. The emperor is not only the head ruler of Rokugan, but also the chief advocate of Shinseism. As such, the training of the emperor's children (the prospective future emperors) has a great focus on the Tao of Shinsei as well as the religious traditionsof theFortunes. Since the time of Hantei X, the emperors of Rokugan upon their coronation have dropped the use of their personal names and kept only the name of their dynasty, to reaffirm their noble blood-right to rule. It also demonstrates their ascendance within the Celestial Order over the rest of the empire, in that they have left behind the mortal world in leaving behind their own names. Succession and Abdication Imperial succession is generally inherited directly from father to eldest son. If an emperor has no living son available to take succession, a daughter may claim the throne as Empress. If the emperor has no surviving child, the emperor's younger brother or sister may be called in to claim the throne. In the rare occassion when an emperor dies without a clear successor, the empire's historians will search through the records of the Otomo and find the living person with the closest blood ties to the ruling line. Historically, the children of the emperor who do not ascend to the throne ritually abdicate their claims to the throne upon the coronation of their eldest brother, abandon the dynastic name, and join either the Seppun or Otomo family. The only people allowed to bear the Emperor's dynastic name are the emperor, his wife and his children. On the occassions when the emperor's siblings are needed to claim the throne after he dies with no heir, they are allowed to renounce their abdication.